Hexar, Contax/Yashica T's vs 70's RF's repairability

[alwinvrm]

In a previous post I asked your opinion about a small camera to complement a Hexar AF. The Yashica T4/5 seemed for me the best compromise, between features, optical quality and price.

Allowing myself some GAS, however, I bought two seventies RF's in very good condition, a red leather Canonet GIII QL17 and an Olympus RC 35. There was another reason though (justified or not).

I bought them because I was concerned that the Yashica/Contax T's are in practice irrepairable and I began to wonder about the life expectancy of my Hexar AF as well. I mean, Konica does not even exist anymore.

Better to get used to working with a reasonable quality seventies RF than an irrepairable (= disposable) electronic marvel, .... ???

[sevo]

Originally Posted by alwinvrm

Better to get used to working with a reasonable quality seventies RF than an irrepairable (= disposable) electronic marvel, .... ???

Not an entirely unreasonable idea - I can make just about every part of a pre IC age metal camera from readily available scrap, and it is not even expensive if I don't have to account for the time spent on it. I can neither rebuild free form die cast parts nor ICs, short of setting up a regular factory, and short of initial costs way beyond my budget, and probably even beyond the collective budgets of all owners of a Hexar looking for the same spare part.

Sevo

[daniel~]

It depends. In Taiwan I know places that would maintain/repair. My Yashica T5 once went for repair coz a metal part caught on some string and distorted, when the back cover wasn't fully close. Took the repairman only a few minutes to fix it, for free.

Electronic failure, on the other hand, would be more difficult to repair. In some cases they have to airmail the cameras back to service point in Japan. Sometimes it costs so much that people just give it up.

Classic manual cameras got the edge on this one, but not enough to dissuade me from using Electronic cameras to their own advantage. I'm not good at maths and find it hard to conclude which is more expensive: the CLA that costs 50~80 $USD to get my old RF to its good working order, or the Zero "maintainance cost" on my electronic T5, through the years of happy shooting till it got lost during a trip?

As for my Hexar AF, it has been years since I bought it 2nd-hand, and so far so good. Even the battery seems to last forever!

[daniel~]

Oh and congratulations on the RED leather Canonet! I really like cameras in different body colour Aren't you gonna show us pics of it? I own a couple of red plastic P&S, lovely but they're not RF cameras.

[alwinvrm]

Daniel:

I will post pics of the new metal / mechanical 70's RF team mates as soon as I picked them up, which will be by the end of this week. I see them as a psychological and real back up, besides, I simply like them.

I am on the look out for a T5 and will get one when a good opportunity comes, got your point there. I understand that future repairs are hit and miss, you may be lucky or just not.

Touch wood, I used the Hexar AF for about 15 years (did change batteries though, don't leave a rewound film too long in the camera, or maybe that wasn't the reason). Guess I should sell my leica gear by now, but somehow I can' get myself to do that.

[daniel~]

About repairability, I'll soon find out anyway... :-( Days ago, My Contax G2 finally malfunctioned and went for repair-- its shutter just wouldn't work...

Last time I had a camera that suddenly stopped working was Olympus 35RD. Cost about 50 $USD to fix. Then a year later it broke down again and I kind of gave up. What a shame coz it's a beautiful camera, but then also the only one that ever broked down twice on me... Ironically, it's by far the most expensive RF of all I aquired from *bay.

Ricoh R1s is the other camera that I gave up--an ultra slim electronic beauty I wanted to like. Unfortunately the R1s has LCD & viewfinder frameline fade away completely. It is repairable, but it appears a result of a manufactured flaw(too many local users have reported the same problems) that I'm not willing to pay for. The camera theoretically can still take pictures, though.


15 years sounds impressive, Hexar, just keep working!

[alwinvrm]

Hmmmm, good luck, are you depending on the G2 alone or do you have another body for the G lenses? Anyway, hope it turns out well.

Waiting for the red canonet to arrive, I owe you the pics of the new cameras.

[alwinvrm]

ABOUT HEXAR AF; of the about 15 years I own it, I dragged it around literally every day but the weekends in a regular shoulder bag converted to part photo bag with minimal but good padding. Most weekends it was with me in the bag as well.

[januaryman]

Originally Posted by alwinvrm

ABOUT HEXAR AF; of the about 15 years I own it, I dragged it around literally every day but the weekends in a regular shoulder bag converted to part photo bag with minimal but good padding. Most weekends it was with me in the bag as well.

I like that idea of a partial conversion of a shoulder bag for your Hexar. I will do the same thing when my Hexar AF arrives from Georgia. What did you use for padding?